Just then, another message from Jaxen popped up.

“We tracked down the location, but only found homeless men there, no sign of Sophia’s people. They weren’t willing to talk.”

Katelyn realized they were unlikely to get any useful information from the homeless. It seemed Sophia had thrown Zoey there and taken Zoey away after the homeless enjoyed themselves.

Katelyn had always understood Sophia’s ruthless nature, but the reality of Sophia’s brutality was starkly evident now.

Katelyn remained seated on the sofa, visibly shaken for quite some time.

Eventually, she turned to Ashlyn, her voice low and earnest. “Do you see now why I’ve been urging you to keep your distance? They’re utterly without mercy.”

A shiver of fear coursed through Ashlyn. The relentless vigilance depicted in the photographs suggested that death, even by one’s own hand, might be impossible.

Swallowing her fear, Ashlyn asked with suspicion, “What could Zoey possibly have done to warrant such brutality?”

Katelyn’s sense of confusion deepened. “I truly don’t know.”

Despite her efforts to uncover the truth, her investigations had yielded nothing conclusive.

Ashlyn was at a loss for words, unable to speak. This was truly an act of inhumanity!

The recent events had ruined any desire Ashlyn might have had to explore Yata, prompting her to remain in the relative safety of their hotel instead.

Additionally, the royal family had yet to schedule the designer competition since their arrival in Yata. Ashlyn chose to wait at the hotel.

Before making final preparations, Katelyn said to Ashlyn, “Alert me immediately if there’s any crisis. I need to leave soon.”

The King had allotted her only a two-hour window. By her calculations, it was nearly time to leave.

As Katelyn spoke, she was already standing by the door.

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At that moment, Ashlyn called out sharply, “Katelyn!”

Katelyn stopped and turned to face Ashlyn, a puzzled look on her face. “What’s the matter?”

Ashlyn paused to think before saying simply, “Take care of yourself.” She truly worried about the outcome of Katelyn’s visit to the palace.

A smile spread across Katelyn’s face. A warm glow spread through her as she realized Ashlyn was concerned for her. She didn’t say anything more, just responded calmly, “Okay, don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” With that, she departed.

Ashlyn couldn’t shake a feeling of unease. Shortly after Katelyn had gone, she was about to settle on the balcony to soak up some sunlight when she heard an unexpected knock at the door.

She slightly furrowed her brow, yet approached the door.

Peering through the peephole and confirming it wasn’t Sophia, Ashlyn let out a breath of relief. Opening the door, she found Vincent standing there, his presence imposing.

Before she could utter a word, Vincent asked, “Where’s Katelyn?” He instinctively peered into the apartment, searching for Katelyn but found no sign of her.

Ashlyn was straightforward in her response as she said, “She’s been summoned to the palace by the King.”

Vincent stiffened. A chill seemed to emanate from him, adding to his tough demeanor. Without another word, he turned on his heel and left swiftly.

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